Alan Henry

Use Just Enough Water

Different rices have different water/liquid proportions but I find that a good rule of thumb is about 1.5 - 2 cups of liquid to 1 cup of dry rice. I like to err on the side of less liquid because you can always add more liquid, but you can't take away if you put in too much and then your rice gets overcooked and turns into a pudding - which is great if you're making rice pudding, but not if you're looking for a light and fluffy rice. Always check the packaging on the rice, it always provides the recommended liquid proportions - which I use as a guideline. Starchier rices tend to require more liquid such as Arborio (used in making Risotto) or the Sticky rice in Japanese sushi rolls - this is because each of the individual rice grains contain higher concentrations of starch and require greater quantities of liquid in order for all the starch to absorb the liquid and "cook."

Use Just Enough Rice

When cooking your basic long-grain Basmati rice, measure out your quantity of dry rice in a dry-measure measuring cup (usually a ring of various stainless-steel cup sizes, don't use a liquid-measure measuring cup which is a large cup with a spout and various markings on the side to indicate the volume of liquid - liquid volume and dry volume measure differently). At this stage, you'll want to rinse your rice very thoroughly. Some rice packaging indicates you should soak your rice, but I don't feel that's necessary. Rinse your rice in a fine-mesh sieve with cold water until the draining water runs clear(ish). When you first rinse it, all the external rice starches wash away - this is crucial as this is what will help maintain your individual grains of rice once they're cooked so you don't get a giant mushy mass of rice. At this point, add your rinsed rice to a pot and fill with enough cold water to cover slightly. Bring the rice to a boil and then drain immediately. This helps to get rid of any remaining starch powder.

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Prepare the Rice

At this point, you'll leave the rice to drain and in the same pot, add your measured quantity of liquid. You may cook your rice with practically any liquid: beer, wine, stocks, water or any combination thereof to the measured amount you'll need. So, if you're cooking 1 cup of dry rice, I'd make sure I have 1.5 cups of cooking liquid. At minimum, water should be used. Using other liquids add flavor and nuanced dimension to the rice. Season your rice with salt, enough so that the liquid tastes salty, but not quite as salty as seawater. The reason for this is that usually rice is not eaten on it's own and is often paired with other foods which are usually very well seasoned. Add about a tablespoon of fat (olive oil, butter, whatever you like, really) and cover the pot. Bring it to a boil and then add your drained rice. Bring the contents to a boil again, and then lower to a simmer, ensuring the pot remains covered. This is the stage where you let physics do its magic. Don't stir, don't uncover unless you have to, and don't kvetch over it. Cooking time will vary depending on the size and shape of your pot and of course your altitude but 10 minutes is a good median to check on your rice. The rice will be done when all the water is absorbed and the rice will be fully cooked. It should not be hard or crunchy at all. At this stage, you'll uncover your rice and let it cool. Once sufficiently cooled, using the tines of a fork, lightly scrape at the rice so that it begins to fluff. At this stage you can transfer it to a serving piece or serve directly out of the pot - your rice is done!

Variations and Tricks

Herbs and Spices: There are some variations on cooking rice that also works out nicely. You can add herbs and spices to the cooking liquid to provide different flavors to your rice. For example, I enjoy adding a few whole cloves and whole bay leaves to the cooking liquid which adds a nice aroma to the rice without imparting an intense flavor. Sometimes, I like to take a different approach where you "toast" the rice before you cook it. In this case, after I've drained and boiled the rice once, while it's draining, I'll heat some oil in the pot and sauté freshly chopped onion and/or garlic until it has softened and become translucent. If you're interested in adding dried herbs or spices, add it at this stage to the sautéed onions and/or garlic - helping to bring out the flavors and oils of the herb or spice (a favorite of mine is Turmeric which gives the rice a gorgeous warm yellow color and the slightest hint of flavor). At this stage, I add my drained rice and allow it to sauté over medium heat with the flavored oil. Stir it a few times to make sure all the rice grains are evenly coated. This is not dissimilar to how one begins to prepare Risotto. I'd let it toast for about 1-2 minutes. At this point, I'd add my measured proportion of liquid and I don't add any fat since I used it in the beginning. Bring the contents to a boil, lower to a simmer, cover the pot and continue cooking as per the instructions above.

Baked Rice: There is one more way you can cook rice - you can bake it! The principles and proportions remain the same, however. If you'd like to bake your rice instead, the steps are simple to adapt. First, make sure to preheat your oven to 350 F. If you're still interested in fluffy rice, rinse thoroughly and bring to a boil once and allow to drain. While it's draining, bring your measured proportion of cooking liquid, seasoning and fat to a boil. Add your drained rice to a baking dish that could easily accommodate the dry rice and liquid (make sure there's room for the expanded rice) and pour your boiled and seasoned liquid over the rice into your baking dish. If your dish has its own lid, use that, otherwise cover it tightly with foil and place in the middle rack of your preheated oven. Allow this to bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the rice is completely cooked through. While this cooking method does take a little longer, it does free up another burner and gives you a little bit more time to focus on other things you need to cook, especially if you have other things in the oven.

In the event that you've cooked your rice and there's no more liquid left, but your rice is not fully cooked, it's easy to fix. You just need to add more liquid to your pot or baking dish to let it continue cooking. I'd add 1/4 cup of liquid at a time, until your rice is completely cooked.

Chef Shaya Klechevsky is the owner of At Your Palate and the author of the At Your Palate Blog. He competed on an episode of Food Network's competition cooking show Chopped, and is a personal chef and food writer in the New York metro area.